RBN - Royal Book News ... Since 1983, the only newsletter -- and now a blog -- for books about Royalty!

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

The Crown - a new royal magazine

A month or so ago (a little late), I received a complimentary copy of a new royal magazine, The Crown. The International Royal Magazine. This is an English-language magazine published in the Netherlands. The magazine is produced by the same team that publishes the Dutch-language magazine, Vorsten. Justine Marcella, the editor-in-chief of Vorsten, wears the the same hat with The Crown. She is correct in saying that The Crown is an ambitious project.

The magazine's market is the the Anglo-speaking world (USA, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand).

This is a glossy, slick larger size magazine (nearly 150) that offers readers a mixed bag of articles. The cover is the Duchess of Cambridge, which, I am sure, was a concerted choice as who else to catch the attention of the Americans or the British. I enjoyed Rick Evers's interview with Queen Margrethe II and the profile of the King and Queen of Bhutan.

Queen Margrethe discussed numerous topics, including why she won't abdicate. Rick Evers has another winner with the profile of Queens Rania and Noor discussing the real Islam. (You won't this kind of article in Majesty Magazine.)

The articles in The Crown are translations of original articles in Vorsten, one of two monthly Dutch royal magazine. The other magazine, Royalty, is edited by Marc van der Linden. Both magazines focus on the Dutch royal family, but also cover the British and European royal families.

The Crown Magazine is visually stunning and well-produced. I like the mixture of modern and historical pieces (Sisi's missing jewels and the romance between Napoleon and Josephine. There are also articles on royal fashions and jewels.

I enjoyed most of the articles, and the European perspective on royalty. There are only three English language magazines available, and all are published in the United Kingdom. Majesty is the doyenne of the publications, as it was first published in June 1980. Royalty Magazine first appeared in 1981. Royal Life is a more recent addition to the canon of royal magazines. It publishes six times a year, and recently published its 17th issue.

Majesty is published twelve times a year. Royalty works the on the alleged 12 months a year schedule. Both magazines cover British and European royalty, but neither with the same sophistication as the Crown Magazine.Royal Life focuses solely on the British royals in what can only be described as pure sugar coverage. I bought one issue, and was bored to tears, Nice photos, but no substance.

This first issue has 107 different royals and 319 photographs,

The real question: who will buy this magazine? The American market is not as big as some may think, I have not seen Majesty's circulation rate in some time, but in the late 1990s, the magazine sold about 48,000 copies per month in the United States.

I am not sure how often The Crown will be published -- and will there be original articles not previously published in Vorsten -- but the next issue is due out in January 2016. The cover price is $20.99 (US), $23.99 (Canada) L8.50 (UK) $18.99 (Australia), $15.99 (New Zealand), and NE/BL 9.95 (Euros). The price is a bit steep for a single issue, especially in North America. Magazines in many U.S. states are included in the sales of periodicals, which means adding 4% to 8% to the cost of the magazine. Several states exempt books and periodicals from sales tax.

The magazine will be available later this month in the USA. There are very few places where you can purchase foreign publications. Not at supermarkets or airports. Barnes & Noble, the bookstore chain, carries some British magazine (fashion and royalty magazines.) Copies can be ordered online.
Yes, there is a niche market for royal-related books and magazines in the United States, but most of these readers are interested solely in the British in general and William and especially Catherine. A middle-aged American woman is unlikely to pick up a magazine with Queen Maxima on the cover,

(American women used to be interested in the Monegasque princely family because of Grace Kelly, but these interest receded after her death,)

The British media largely ignores European royal events. No television coverage, and, perhaps a few paragraphs in one or two newspapers. Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state of Canada, Australia and New Zealand (and a few other places, too.) Australians have an interest in the Tasmanian-born Mary Donaldson, now Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, the wife of the heir apparent, Crown Prince Frederik.

I am not the average royal reader, and I would not purchase a magazine solely because the Duchess of Cambridge is on the cover. There has been a dearth of coverage of the European royals, and now, The Crown can fill the void.

If you can't find a copy of The Crown at a bookstore or at other shops where magazines are sold, take a risk and order a copy from their website. UPDATE: The Crown is now on sale at Barnes & Noble.

The first issue of The Crown has a little fluff, a bit of glitz and glamour, and, happily, interesting and informative articles.

Articles for purchase

Young Affie Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1874-1899) This is a 2 part article

Prince Maurice of Battenberg

The marriage of Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia and Prince Ernst August of Hanover.

All three articles

Grand Duke Michael of Russia and Countess Sophie von Merenberg

Now available for purchase: a well-researched, footnoted article on the life of Grand Duke Michael Mikahilovich of Russia, whose marriage to Countess Sophie von Merenberg was unequal, but a love match. I wrote this piece some years ago for Royalty Digest, and now again available. The price is $5.00 (and will be sent to you as a PDF). Just click on the Buy Now link for purchase. Thanks.

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Review Policy

This blog is the successor to my printed newsletter, Royal Book News, which was published from 1983 until 2009. I will review books on British and European royalty in English and other languages. There is a great interest in foreign language titles because many of these books won't be translated into English. Royal Book News is interested in books published in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, France, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Spain, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, etc.Plantagenets to Windsor. Habsburgs, Romanovs, Hohenzollerns, Bourbons! Each review will include a link to the publisher's site, and, if possible, a link to online bookstores. Please contact me at RoyalMusings at cox dot net for further information, including where to send your book.

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All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed or published without the prior approval of Marlene A. Koenig. You can, however, provide a link to the blog or to a post on the blog. Please credit Marlene A Koenig and Royal Book News. Thanks.

About Me

is an internationally recognized expert on British and European royalty, especially the descendants of Queen Victoria. Academic librarian. Author of Queen Victoria's Descendants (Rosvall Royal Books: 1997), and Queen Victoria's Descendants: A Companion Edition (Rosvall Royal Books: 2004). Edited A Romanov Diary published by Atlantic International (1990). Articles published in Majesty, Royalty Digest, Royalty Magazine, Atlantis magazine &, European History Journal. Provided research for Greg King, David Duff, Hugo Vickers, among others. Contributed chapters for The Grand Duchesses and The Other Grand Dukes, both published by Kensington Books.
Media appearances: CNN, NBC, ABC, BBC, CBC, Dateline: NBC, WUSA, WRC, numerous radio stations in the USA, Canada & UK. Interviewed by the Washington Post, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, the Washington Times, USA Today, the Today Show, & other print and web media in the USA & UK.
Contact royalmusings at cox dot net